Virgin Atlantic is planning to hold talks over a possible joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia which would see Sir Richard Branson’s airline offer more routes to Asia, Africa and the Middle East, reports The Daily Telegraph.
Julie Southern, Virgin’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are very interested in exploring what further cooperation opportunities there are, particularly with Air France-KLM and Alitalia.”
However, she added that “no detailed discussions” have taken place yet, with talks due to take place in the “coming months”.
The airline is already planning a joint venture with Delta Air Lines this year in an attempt to challenge British Airways’ dominance of the London to New York market.
It is thought that a similar deal could be made between Virgin and Air France-KLM to open up more flights to Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Italian airline Alitalia could also be involved in the tie-up.
Virgin is considering altering its business model and may be willing to sacrifice its independence as it looks to return to profitability.
Read more of this report from The Daily Telegraph.